CHAKRAVARTI RAJAGOPALACHARI

CHAKRAVARTI RAJAGOPALACHARI

“Swami Vivekananda saved Hinduism and saved India. But for him we would have lost our religion and would not have gained our freedom. We therefore owe everything to Swami Vivekananda. May his faith, his courage and his wisdom ever inspire us so that we may keep safe the treasure we have received from him!”

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari (1879-1972)

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari was the first Indian to occupy the position of the Governor-General of India in 1948 and the last person to hold the position until India became a Republic in 1950.

Rajagopalachari remained in political life as a Minister of Home affairs in New Delhi in 1951 and the Chief Minister of the State of Madras from 1952-54. As a result of his differences with Nehru, he founded the ‘Swatantra Party’ in the mid 1950s.

He was popularly known as a man of reason and moderation rather than of ideology and populism. He was a powerful orator and writer in both Tamil and English, and among his lasting legacies are his translations of the two epics, the Ràmàyaõa and the Mahàbhàrata.

Indian Nationalist Leader. Closely associated with Gandhi (from 1918); served on Working Committee of Indian National Congress (1922-42); Chief Minister of Madras (1937-39, 1952-54); Governor General of India (1948-50); founder of conservative ‘Swatantra’ (Freedom Party, 1959).